Essay name: Paumacariya (critical study)
Author:
K. R. Chandra
Affiliation: Research institute of Prakrit, Jainology and Ahimsa Vaishali
This is a critical study of the Paumacariya: the earliest Jain version of Rama's life story, written in Prakrit by Vimalasuri dating to the 4th century AD. In this text, Rama (referred to as Padma) is depicted with lotus-like eyes and a blooming face. The Paumacariya places emphasis on the human aspects of characters rooted in Jain values, contrasting with the divine portrayal in Valmiki鈥檚 version.
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A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYA峁�
people from fatal results of widespread epidemics.
draughts also brought anxiety to the people.
Famines and
The economic sustenance of the nation depended on various occu-
pations and professions of different grades. The PCV mentions them
as follows:
-
Agriculture The profession of agriculture and the farmers are
referred to at 14.26; 39.68. In their daily routine farmers used to go to
their fields with their implements in the morning and returned in the
evening (105.32, 34). The soil was tilled with plough (halakulisa or
Kulika 14.51, s墨ra 113.20) which was drawn by the oxen. People knew
it that well cultivated land (suki峁弓ha 3.45) was necessary for the proper
growth of seeds while the sandy or salty land (usara 14.59) was unpro-
ductive. The richness of crops (sassa 4.26) depended upon the quantity
of rainfall. References to Persian-wheel (araha峁弓agha岣峣janta 105.40)
and well (kuva 35.19) indicate that these were also the sources of irriga-
tion. There are references to lakes (5.56; 15.50; 82.40) and tanks
(talaya 3.46) but their application to irrigation is not specifically
mentioned.
Many crops were grown and there is a reference to the wild crop
rice which grew abundantly in forest (dhan峁嘺峁� ca ra峁囜箛aj膩yam 41.4).
This wild crop is mentioned as growing in the southern country and
艢膩li (99.29), a superior kind of rice in the Ko艣ala country. Other
varities of rice specified in the PCV are V墨hi (vr卯hi 4.76), Tandula (33.6)
and Kodrava (103.111). Barley is also referred to (Java 4.76; 11.25).
The Avantide艣a is said to be flourishing with the crops of gram
(Canaya), kidney-bean (Mugga=Munga), horse-bean (M膩sa=U岣峚da),
sesamum (Tila) and Tandula (33.16). Mustard (Sarisava 97.10) seeds.
are also mentioned. Then there was the sugarcane (Ikkhu 3.111) and
a special variety of it, called Punducchu (42.11) which was planted in
various parts of the country.
Animal Husbandry -Cows and buffaloes are stated to be forming
the animal-stock of Magadha (2.2), Vijay膩rdha (3.158), Saketapur墨
(80.11), etc. They supplied milk and ghee. R膩ma and Ba峁璾ka Kapila
are mentioned to have a number of cows (80.11; 35.79). Common
Thus there is a
people also must have been keeping them.
reference to a buffalo of a householder (41.55). A certain G峁沨apati
is said to be possessing domestic animal (gihapasukhett膩墨su
48.79). Then the professional cowherd (gov膩laya 5.96) is also
mentioned. He kept a huge cow-pen and used to sell cows. Oxen are
regularly referred to. They formed an important part of the beasts
of burden,
